ATMs exist for routine banking transactions…deposits, withdrawals, balance inquiries, opting out of overdraft protection. Wait, what? GitEmSteveDave noticed, but didn’t test, this option on a Sovereign Bank ATM. “I wonder how many people hit the button by accident and end up giving their rights up,” he writes. Convenient, or dangerous? [More]

If you’ve ever found yourself trying to get money from an ATM that doesn’t want to display its menus in English, you know it can be aggravating. But imagine what it must be like for someone with no understanding of any written language. Now there are new ATMs being created for use in developing regions with lower literacy rates. [More]

Reader Greg was sick of there never being any pens at the Citibank ATM at 8th ave and 16th st in NYC. They had those metal pens attached to wire like they always do, but people had stolen the pen innards and they were never replaced. (Probably because the bank got sick of replacing them.) So Greg came up with his own solution. He grabbed some free pens that are always in abundance at TD Bank and duct taped them to the empty Citibank pen barrels. [More]

Banks are continuing to amp up the threat of making consumers pay for the price of increased regulation. Chase is testing out charging non-customers in Illinois $5 for withdrawal fees. In Texas, they’re trying a $4 charge on for size. Consumer advocates say its a scare tactic meant to muddy up Congressional waters, but banking experts disagree. “I think customers have taken for granted the cost of banks’ infrastructure,” says Margaret Kane, president and CEO of Kane Bank Services told ABC News. “ATMs are very expensive to install and maintain.” [More]

As Congress today debates over proposed caps on debit card swipe fees that would limit bank profits and lower costs for merchants, TD Bank has announced they’re going to start charging customers a $2 fee whenever they take cash out of a non-TD bank ATM. That’s going to be on top of any fee that you already pay the ATM. The only way to avoid the fee is to be in a higher-tier checking account. [More]

You might want to wash your hands after the next time you take money out the cash machine. A new study shows that when bacteria harvested from both were compared, ATM keys were as dirty as the seat in a public bathroom. [More]

Whenever the money level in my Scrooge McDuck-style money bin dips below levels that are safe for diving, I have to send off the servants to restock it with assorted gold bars and coins. But now I’ll get to fire them because Gold to Go has announced they’re bringing their gold-dispensing ATMs to our great nation. [More]

There’s a driver for Pittsburgh Yellow Cab Company who doesn’t like it when you try to pay with a Discover card, even though the company’s website says they accept it. When Adam tried this, the driver accused him of trying to avoid paying, then locked the doors and initially refused to let him go to an ATM 15 feet away unless he left all of his belongings behind. While Adam called the cab company to complain (he was routed to a voicemail inbox), the driver called the police. Twice. [More]

Carol tells Consumerist that while in a financial pinch, she took out a title loan for $4,000, depositing it in her Chase bank account using an ATM. Instead of helping the situation, the deposit made her financial mess worse. Chase froze her out of her accounts and made her order a new debit card, but no one at her local branch or in the corporate “Risk Control” department has the power to tell her what the problem is. Her account remained locked after the check cleared. Bank staff also took the opportunity to attempt to sell her student loans and overdraft protection. Not a good time, Chase. [More]

Whether it’s a steel door or an encrypted network, thieves are always finding ways to break down the barriers that protect money. And the new technologies are also enabling bank robbers to invent new ways to jack cash with flair and razzle dazzle. Exhibit A, a security researcher at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas demonstrates on-stage how one can remotely hack an ATM to make it spew money while playing a lively tune. [More]

Wells Fargo is the undisputed leader in Antarctic banking thanks to a pair of ATMs at McMurdo station. Despite the monopoly, the bank acts as a benevolent despot by allowing non-customers to draw cash without a surcharge. But who replenishes the stock of $20s? What happens when the ATMs break? Wells Fargo VP David Parker explained it all in a recent interview. [More]